


Welcome Change

by still_lycoris



Category: X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014) - Fandom
Genre: Fluff, Hair stroking, M/M, Mind Sex, Telepathy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-16
Updated: 2016-05-16
Packaged: 2018-06-08 20:47:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,448
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6872767
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/still_lycoris/pseuds/still_lycoris
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Charles has a question for Hank regarding their past - and their future.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Welcome Change

Hank was reading when Charles came into the room. In fact, he was so deeply immersed in his book that he didn’t realise Charles was there until Charles touched his arm gently.

“Hank?”

“Charles! Sorry, I didn’t – are you all right? Do you need something?”

He couldn’t quite keep the panic out of his voice. It wasn’t so long ago that Charles’s arrival usually meant he needed something – and usually, that wasn’t good. Even though things had changed now, changed so much for the better, Hank found his mind still dwelt on the darker things sometimes. And to have been so busy doing something that he hadn’t been aware of Charles at all … 

“I’m fine,” Charles said quickly, probably sensing Hank’s fears and trying to calm them. “At least … I’m … would you mind if I sat with you for a while?”

“Of course you can sit with me,” Hank said, equally quickly. “It’s fine, I … do you want to talk?”

“No. I don’t want to interrupt, I just don’t want to be on my own for a bit. Please, just go on with what you’re doing.”

Hank paused for a moment, then slowly did so, not quite sure that he could concentrate with Charles in the room. He felt like he ought to be doing something else, ought to be making sure that Charles was fine, even though Charles had told him not to. It was a leftover of times past that he needed to shake off but that was easier said than done. Charles was possibly having a bad day and Hank knew in theory that it wasn’t his responsibility but in practise, a part of him still wanted to act on it.

But he knew better now. Determinedly, he stared at his book, making the words make sense again. He heard Charles move his wheelchair over and then the sound of Charles carefully lifting himself out of the chair and onto the couch next to Hank. After a moment, Hank shifted his arm, just slightly and Charles promptly leaned against him, tucking himself against Hank’s side. This was something Hank was familiar with and without taking his eyes off his book, he began to gently twirl Charles’s hair between his fingers; smoothing and petting it, carefully tucking it behind Charles’s ear in gentle, easy strokes. Charles’s hair was soft and clean now, not hanging in greasy snarls and it felt lovely to touch. 

Charles gave a tiny sigh of contentment so Hank continued with slow, steady strokes, sometimes just running his fingers over the hair, sometimes pressing his fingers right so he could feel Charles’s scalp. Charles gave a soft hum and burrowed against him a little. Hank found himself smiling. He stroked his fingers from Charles’s scalp to the end of his hair, tugged a little before going back to the top and starting again. He smiled again when Charles gave a little wriggle.

 _God, he’s beautiful like this_.

He stilled at the thought, a little shocked at himself. Charles had telepathy now, he could hear things like that and Hank had to be more careful because, well … 

He realised he’d stopped petting and quickly returned to it, trying to get back to his steady rhythm. Charles had stopped the little wriggling movements though and Hank swallowed. Had he upset Charles? He truly hadn’t meant to …

“Hank, can I ask you a personal question?”

“Sure,” he said automatically.

“When I was … before, when we’ve been alone together, why didn’t you ever sleep with me?”

Hank felt his mouth go dry. He wasn’t sure that he wanted to talk about this. But Charles had asked and … it didn’t seem fair not to answer.

“I … didn’t think it would be right. You … you were usually drunk and clingy and … and you weren’t you, you just … so it didn’t seem right.”

Charles nodded his head slightly. Hank wondered if he should stop stroking Charles’s hair. It didn’t seem entirely appropriate to keep touching when you were telling somebody why you hadn’t slept with them. Charles didn’t seem uncomfortable though – in fact, he seemed to have moved a little closer and shifted his body round so he was looking at Hank.

“Are … those the only reasons then?”

Hank paused, not quite sure what to say. They seemed pretty good reasons to him – ought there be more? Had he missed something important?

“I mean,” Charles said gently. “that you haven’t mentioned anywhere in there that you weren’t attracted to me. Which is a very good reason to reject anybody, you see but rather more insurmountable than being put off because the other person is drunk.”

Hank swallowed. Of course he hadn’t mentioned not being attracted to Charles. Who _wouldn’t_ be attracted to Charles? Hank had found him beautiful since the moment they’d first met, how could that ever have changed? It was just that it was _Charles_ and it was complicated because … everything always was.

“If I were to … ask,” Charles said and his voice was careful now. “If I were to ask you now that I’m sober and healthy if you might be interested in kissing me, would such a question be potentially welcome or extremely unwelcome?”

He looked nervous, unusually so. As though he thought that he might be about to ruin everything between them, as though he thought that he might be about to hurt Hank in some way. He wasn’t quite meeting Hank’s eyes and Hank had a feeling that he was shielding himself, trying to avoid catching stray thoughts Hank might have, either to fully respect Hank’s privacy or because he didn’t want to risk feeling disgust.

He had been silent too long. Charles was clearly thinking that Hank was going to politely reject him and was shifting, about to move away, probably about to say something apologetic and Hank knew that if that happened, this would be gone and lost forever and he didn’t want that. He really didn’t want that.

“Welcome,” he stammered out. “Always, _always_ welcome.”

Charles blinked, then smiled, one of those glorious, golden smiles that Hank had missed so, so much when Charles had been depressed and everything had been grey. He gently pushed himself up, tipping his head back and so Hank leaned down and kissed him.

It was exactly how he’d imagined and yet somehow completely different. Charles’s mouth was soft and warm and yet slightly drier than Hank had expected it to be, at least until Charles gently touched his tongue to Hank’s lower lip. Hank shuddered and he felt Charles smile against his mouth.

_Is that nice?_

Hank gasped. Charles had spoken to him mentally before, of course, but it had never felt like this. Charles’s voice was _warm_ in his head, a glorious, flowing thing that made Hank feel eager for things that he wasn’t quite sure he could name.

_I can stop if you’d like. Sex with a telepath can be a little intense when they’re in your mind. Just say …_

Hank definitely didn’t want Charles to stop. It was one of the most incredibly sensual feelings he had ever had. He felt as though Charles was slipping through every part of him, exploring, touching with soft fingers – even though Charles’s hands hadn’t moved from cupping Hank’s face as he half-lay in Hank’s lap, still pressing his mouth against Hank’s. Hank kissed him harder, more greedily. He wanted Charles and Charles knew it, Charles was swimming in his mind and there was no need for fear or shame because Charles _knew_. Charles knew everything and it was all right, absolutely everything was all right now.

 _Can I take you to bed?_ he asked silently and felt Charles’s _yes_ even before Charles said it aloud. 

There were no more words between them after that. No questions, no doubts. Just mouths and hands and the delicate warmth of their minds together.

 _You are beautiful_ Charles murmured and for perhaps the first time in his life, Hank could believe it.

They lay together afterwards and Hank found himself stroking Charles’s hair again, running those strands through his fingers. Charles was making soft, sleepy noises, almost like purrs and it made Hank smile.

“I love you,” he murmured and Charles smiled sleepily. His mind touched Hank’s briefly, a sleepy caress and a whisper: _I love you too_. Hank cuddled down beside him, closing his eyes.

The past finally felt as though it was behind him. And the future spread before him in a glorious tumble of possibilities.

But that was for the morning. Right now, Charles was in his arms and he was warm and he was tired. It was time to sleep.

Everything was all right now.


End file.
